chuck kottke

:lol:Whaddaya need 600 horsepower for? Are you pulling really big granite blocks from a quarry up a hill to a railroad siding, or what?:laugh3: I assume this is a Mercedes tractor rig for an OTR tractor-trailer.. ? Better mileage yes (relative to the enormity of the auto), but the concept misses the mark methinks. If you want faster acceleration, make the car light and strong, the tires grippier, the aerodynamics better. And electric motors have oodles of torque, so it's a matter of getting fast battery / supercapacitor output coupled with a torquey electric motor and efficient drive train (see the lovely Tesla sports car for a good idea of what's possible) in order to achieve that off-the-mark acceleration one desires. It's like trying to accelerate an elephant vs. a cheetah - to get a sports version of the elephant, it takes one heck of a lot of muscles and energy, whereas the cheetah is sleek, light, maneuverable, and doesn't need the 600 horses to get up to speed. Which brings up the often not mentioned issue of human psychology & profitability relative to consumer automotive choices. That's the real issue methinks. Here is what Mercedes is capable of: Mercedes-Benz Bionic Car concept modelled on Boxfish! News and photo gallery Mercedes-Benz Bionic - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

All new things have trial periods, yes. If the charging is mostly slow charging, and all the testing and design does what is expected of it, performance & life of the batteries should follow suit. If the batteries last a little longer (or one can deal with let's say 70% battery capacity and still go the places one wants to go), perhaps in 12 or 13 years the replacement batteries will be reasonably priced - if mass production reduces the cost per unit, and the basic chemicals and production of the batteries is reasonable in price. Yes, batteries are pricey, I agree - something like 18,000 USD or 11,200 Pounds, but the prices are expected to drop to half that as demand increases and mass production reduces costs. Considering the materials they are made of - compounds of lithium, manganese, phosphate, iron; then plastics, electrolyte solutions, & conductor metals - price reductions should reflect more the cost of manufacturing than raw material costs. One might even see replacement batteries in a decade or so that employ even more compact and lower-cost materials in their design that have a greater reliability and lifespan. Carbon nanotube cells for instance could be available by then, or some other technology that is in the pipeline. In my mind a mostly battery-driven hybrid design makes sense, since most commutes are 15 miles / 24 kilometers or less, it may be more cost-effective to have fewer battery reserves and a very efficient engine generator system for the infrequent but long trips.

Or check out the new Aptera 2, coming soon hopefully! Aptera 2 Series - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Aptera has 2.2 X the efficiency of the Nissan Leaf! And an interesting rounder site from the UK on Biodiesel: Press News interesting | BioDiesel-UK I feel it's a part of the solution, when efficiency and better layouts for transportation make driving less necessary and less fuel consumptive!

Maybe but maybe not. According to some sources, the military leader in charge now is incompetent, but perhaps that is the diplomatic sources way of saying willing to work with the people? Momentum will not subside in Egypt; he will have to do what is right, and call for free, open, and fair elections, and lift the emergency law, returning Egypt to it's democratic and constitutional form. Would anyone settle for less at this point?

Yes, the Nissan Leaf looks like an excellent choice, getting the equivalent of 99 MPG, with a range of around 100 miles between charges, and the batteries are expected to last 10 years with 80% of their original charging capacity, which sounds good. Nissan Leaf - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia I keep thinking of the big picture, and seeing the problems with typical plastics and other synthetic chemicals used in the autos we drive, I am hoping we see a transition to more biopolymers and biopolymer composites: poster_LiY.pdf (application/pdf Object)

Congratulations to the Citizens of Egypt for your hard-won success!! YAY!!!!:sunny: Keep on keeping on with democracy and freedom in the Middle East! And we here in the West must pressure our governments to do the right things - to promote democracy throughout the Middle East, make changes in the world financial system for financial equity with Egypt and all other emerging democracies, and use the international courts to retrieve the looted money taken by Mubarak and his cronies to be returned to the citizens of Egypt. As our illustrious President says, "I will do the right things, but you will have to make me do it". - that tells ya something about the need for pressure put to bear on Obama & Washington to get them to behave justly even when it's clear for all to see what is the right thing to do. The Bill of Rights was demanded by We, the People, so politicians rarely act on behalf of citizens unless forced to do the right thing. Keep the pressure up - Human Rights are a natural right of all people. And call or Email your Senator, Representative, and President - let them know that you want to see us support democratic movements in Egypt and elsewhere - we are formed from the great republics of the Mediterranean, and we aught to be promoting democracies that check and balance power, guarantee individual liberties, and promote the common good of their people. A policy that does so in the long run creates lasting harmony and stability in the world. Let Freedom Ring, Let Freedom Ring, Let Freedom Ring!

Thanks! I'm still amazed myself - truly amazing for our small town team, owned by the people of Green Bay. Socialism at it's finest!:laugh3:

Hey, don't feel bad - it was at one point very close, and considering both teams were wearing gold uniforms, I expected mistakes like that to happen on both sides! Like trying to guess the puzzle piece to select next, only with a lot of pressure to get it right in seconds - pretty hard to do for anyone! I was hoping for a tie game - that would have been a first!:laugh3:

YAY!!!! Green Bay Won the Super Bowl & the Vince Lombardi Trophy !!!! Great Game though, the Steelers played excellent football! If you're interested in Vince Lombardi :Vince Lombardi | Home

That's a good question! It's called the Super Bowl because it started as an actual Bowl Game between the separate winners of two different football (American Rugby) leagues - the AFC or then AFL, and the NFC or then NFL. So the two rival leagues had this bowl game to decide who was the best of the best from each, hence the Super Bowl. And which teams played in the first Super Bowl? Gawd that's funny! The name started from kids playing with a Wham-O Super Ball! Which looked like this: Lg_Rd.jpg (JPEG Image, 365x365 pixels)

I watched the VW Beetle Commercial :cool:

Not too badly though - "over the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?" - it's hard to remember that part I think because it's lost in the context of the battle where Fort McHenry survived the bombardment from the British cannon fire, and adapted from a poem, so hey, how many Americans ever get that part right?:laugh3: Anyhow, YAY!!! We're making progress again!!:) So that's baked brie!! Thanks!

Hm.. "Giant Spider Invasion" - that explains it!:laugh3: Yes, I know MST - my brother brought home many tapes of them, and they do so much better with the bad B movies! But I think they were making fun of old footage when the Packers won the first championship games (the Lombardi years), and people went nuts! (hey, there's not a lot else going on here!:laugh3: ..or rather back then there wasn't) Anyhow, hey, the game's getting more exciting!! (? baked brie? like fried cheese curds??)

It's really quite simple, what do you want to know first?:)

:rolleyes::laugh3: Hadn't seen that episode of MST, like ever! Thanks for sharing it - quite a unique experience, and yes, that resembles Wisconsin in so many quirky ways! Elroy "crazy legs" Hirsch - maybe they're thinking of the Rams or the Rockets.. Elroy Hirsch - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia He was from Wisconsin though..

And so what are you trying to say about Fergie, hmmmm? miss-piggy.jpg (JPEG Image, 500x619 pixels) - Scaled (99%)

:laugh3: A live music event that's dubbed? Definitely not Woodstock!:hippy: Anyhow, I just hope the game gets close - keeps it interesting! Go (G) !

Economical in terms of mileage, or economical in terms of initial cost? If price isn't a big deal to you, and you like sports cars, there's the Tesla model S roadster - all electric: Tesla Motors | Premium Electric Vehicles I suppose you could wait a year or so if you wanted to and get an Aptera Electric 2 wheeled Aptera 2e on sale in 2011? and customize it to have a higher top speed, better acceleration just by changing some parameters and settings.. It tops out at 90 mph, but that limitation is probably a factory setting; with its .15 drag coefficient, a weight around 1700 pounds (770 kilograms), and a low center of gravity, it has the potential for a high top speed and fantastic acceleration - perhaps the hybrid version coming out in late 2011 will offer this extra capability. You could change the motor - put in a torquier one, rewire the batteries for fast power output, and plan on more frequent charging.

(G)

Alternative Energy Info Site, pretty cool to see things coalescing in places: Electric 2 wheeled Aptera 2e on sale in 2011? And sooner than that, give the Chevrolet Volt a look if you like: 2011 Chevy Volt | Electric Car | Chevrolet

Wish there was an organization set up to help get food and water to the freedom marchers in Egypt's cities.

Part = Czesc Welcome Coldhill :-)

Welcome to Coldplaying Morfka:sunny:

Good, I hope the Egyptian people keep up the pressure for as long as it takes! When I hear that a group of "wise men", a joint committee of judicial and political figures are tasked with suggesting constitutional amendments, I think of our own founding fathers here in the U.S., and how the constitutional convention held in Philadelphia led to the formation of our new republic. I understand why they want a clean sweep of Parliament and their Presidency - if the elections were all rigged, then those in office currently do not represent the will of the people, and new elections should be held as soon as possible. One of the protesters said they wanted a coalition government; a plurality running Egypt basically. Makes good sense - consensus building among the various groups makes things happen, and ensures all voices get representation, so the results are more even-handed and built by consensus and compromise. I think they've got the right ideas, and they certainly know what needs reforming and how to do it! Viva La Egypt!! And there are a variety of parties, from the Wafd to Tagammu to the Muslim Brotherhood to the existing bloc - sounds like a recipe for success. Tagammu = National Progressive Unionist Party Some wiki sources for further edification: Mohamed ElBaradei - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia National Progressive Unionist Party - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Wafd Party - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cool! :cool3: And I saw footage of the flooding in Australia - those are some determined protesters!! Interesting profile of Mohamed ElBaradei from the BBC: BBC News - Profile: Mohamed ElBaradei